The Top Tips for Going Dairy-Free When Baking
Are you trying to cut dairy out of your
diet? If so, you are certainly not alone. There are plenty of reasons why you
may want to reduce your intake of milk, butter, and other dairy products. It
could be due to lactose intolerance, acne, or a vegan lifestyle.
The tricky thing, though, is that many
recipes – particularly ones involving baking – often require the addition of
dairy. Does this mean that you have to give these dishes and desserts a miss?
Absolutely not! There are plenty of ways to substitute for these ingredients.
Below, you will find all the information
you need to manage this perfectly. Let’s get started!
Switching Out Cow’s Milk
These days, it is easier than ever before
to swap out cow’s milk for plant-based milk. This is because there are so many
options to choose from. These include – but aren't limited to – soy, oat,
almond, coconut, and more.
When it comes to baking, though, you do
need to be a bit
more careful. Not all plant-based milks will work equally as well. Your
best option is soy milk as it has a similar protein content, allowing it to
provide structure to foods like cakes and breads. As an added bonus, the taste
is mild enough to blend in with other ingredients and not be noticeable.
If you are trying to cut soy out as well,
then almond milk will work. It should be noted that almond doesn’t as much
protein as cow’s milk. Due to this, it will be difficult to get baked goods to
brown properly. Furthermore, it has a higher water content so you may need to
cut down on the baking time.
Most plant-based milks don’t have the same
level of acidity as cow’s milk. So, if the recipe calls for baking soda, make
sure to use baking powder instead. Unlike baking soda, baking powder doesn’t
need to be activated by an acidic component in the recipe.
Alternatives for Butter
Butter is used in numerous baked goods like
cookies, biscuits, cakes, and more. Due to this, it can seem irreplaceable.
After all, this ingredient has a rather distinct taste and structure to it.
Regardless, you should still be able to swap out the butter out without too
many issues.
Some recipes require the butter to be in
solid form – this is true of pie crusts and biscuits. So, coconut oil will be
an excellent substitute here. This is because most coconut oils are solid at
room temperature. To get an idea of what the best coconut oil for these recipes
would be, check out https://fortheloveofcoconut.com/
for more information.
Cookies can be especially tricky as the
recipe requires a fair amount of butter. Also, in these foods, the butter’s
main purpose is to add richness and density. The good news is that most oils
will work well – canola and olive oil, in particular. Vegetable shortening will
also offer up that fat content that you may need for the recipe to work.
Vegan butters are also becoming more
commonplace. And, there are several that are specifically meant to be used in
baking. Some even have a rich, buttery flavor. What's great about these
butters, though, is that they are quite easy to use. You simply have to add
them in the same way that you would real butter.
Can You Use Margarine Instead of Butter?
Now, on the surface, there may appear to be
several similarities between margarine and butter. After all, they look the
same! Despite this outward appearance, though, these two ingredients are quite
different from one another. Thus, when they are added to recipes, they have
differing roles.
There is also the fact that margarine has a
lower fat content and higher water content. As a result, they end up thinning
out your batter. Therefore, if you were to use margarine in cookies, for
instance, you may discover that they spread out quite a bit. The cookies may
also be prone to burning.
Substituting for Heavy Cream
Heavy cream can often seem like the most
difficult option to swap out in baking. This is largely to do with the texture
of the ingredient. It isn't easy to find alternatives that offer the same kind
of structure as heavy cream.
The exact alternative will depend on the
role that you need the heavy cream to perform. For instance, if you are simply
looking for a soft, thick texture and a mild taste, then silken tofu will work beautifully.
What's more, tofu is healthy and boosts the protein content of any dish.
It should be noted that tofu doesn’t whip
all that well, however. So, if a heavy cream substitute needs to be aerated,
then you will need to opt for something else. This is where coconut cream comes
in.
If you leave a can of coconut milk in the
refrigerator for a day or so, you will notice that it separates into two
distinct layers. One will be liquid and nearly colorless. The other will be
solid and white. The solid layer is coconut cream.
with a particular recipe.
As you can see, it isn't difficult to go
dairy-free when baking. Sure, you need to be aware of what substitutions will
and won’t work. However, thanks to this post, you are now aware of how to
manage every alternative.
Now that you have this information,
continuing with the baking process will be easy enough. Therefore, you won’t
have any problem whipping up delicious and healthy treats while following your
favorite recipes. The possibilities are endless!
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